Dozens of searchers are making their way to White River Canyon on Mount Hood, where three climbers have been stuck since Sunday.

"They are on the move," Russell Gubele, coordinating communications for the rescue operation, said of the rescuers.

Authorities say 40 searchers are taking part in today's search this morning -- the second major search effort on Mount Hood since December when a trio became stranded and later died on the mountain.

Searchers this morning are in a race against the clock. They hope to reach the stranded trio -- and their dog -- by noon. A winter storm is expected to wallop Mount Hood this afternoon, bringing high winds and dumping several feet of snow on the mountain. The avalanche danger, which is now moderate, also will get worse by afternoon.

Teams had reached the general area earlier Monday, but they decided to wait until daybreak because they couldn't see anything, Gubele said, and "it's extremely treacherous up where they are. One false step could be not good."

Battling winds up to 70 mph and blowing snow, rescue teams had worked through the night trying to locate the climbers.

The three who fell were part of an eight-person party that set out Saturday, camped on the mountain that night and then began to come back down Sunday when they ran into bad weather, officials said.

As they were descending, the three slipped off a ledge. Someone in the party placed an emergency call to authorities.

The sheriff said the group was thought to be well-equipped and have GPS capabilities, cell phones, mountain-locator units and adequate climbing essentials.

Rescue officials were in frequent cell phone contact with the three who had fallen.

The three had gotten into their sleeping bags to stay warm.

"They also have a Labrador dog with them that is cuddled up with them to help them keep warm," Gubele told AP Broadcast News. "My understanding is that they are experienced rock climbers, but not necessarily experienced in mountain climbing."

Jim Liston said his son, Trevor, one of the climbers rescued from Mount Hood Sunday, is anxiously awaiting the safe return of three others still stuck on the mountain.

Liston said he's been in touch with his son this morning. He said his son, a critical care nurse at OHSU Hospital, is an experienced climber who has scaled Mount Hood multiple times. He said at least one of the stranded climbers is also an experienced climber.